Rudolph c



(No Model.)

' R. 0. SMITH.

EEATEEFOE GOMPEESSED AIR ENGINES.

No. 491,859 Patented Feb. 14, 1893.

ELI (II n [ti 5" I N I I S Q X E O o I 'r o WIS @Xhtmaoma wuamto c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH O. SMITILOF YONKERS, ASSIGNOR TO THE OTIS BROTHERS &

COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N.

HEATER FOR COMPRESSED-AIR ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,859, dated February 14, 1893.

Application filed August 28, 1891. Serial No. 403,981. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH 0. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Youkers, county of Westchester, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Heaters for Compressed-Air.

ing the engines of elevators, and it has forits object to provide means whereby the compressed air may be effectively utilized in operat-ing engines and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

It is well known that compressed air may be utilized for operating engines or motors on street cars, power transmission and especiallyisitapplicableforoperatingenginescon nected to run elevators in houses and other places. To do this anengine, which maybe substantially like the ordinary steam engine, is provided and connected with the source of supply of compressed air, by means of which the engine can be operated whenever desired. It is also Well known that when compressed air expands it creates an intense cold and it is found that this is apt to cause a deposit of ice, from the moisture in the air or otherwise, in or around the ports and valves of the engine so that it is practically impossible to use the compressed air expansively at ordinary temperatures.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple means whereby the compressed air passing to the engine may be heated so that as it expands it will not deposit frost or ice which will interfere with the operation of the engine.

In carrying out my invention I have shown it applied to an engine operating an elevator and in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a general view showing the apparatus necessary to carry out my invention, and Fig. 2 is a detail of the valve and switch mechanism.

In the drawings A, represents an elevator connected to the ordinary cables B, passing over sheaves O, O, to a drum D, connected to be driven by the engine E. This engine E, may be of any ordinary type but is shown of the'well known style often used to operate elevators by steam, the only difference in construction of the engine being that when the engine is operated by compressed air expan sively, the valves and ports are preferably made larger than for operation by steam.

.Oonnected to the engine is a supply pipe F,

leading from the compressed-air tank G, or other source of compressed air, and H, represents a typical valve controlling the admis sion of compressed air at the ports of the engine.

In order that .the compressed air may be raised to a proper temperature before enterwhereby it may be heatedelectrically and for this purpose I have shown an electric generator I, which may be situated at any convenient place and leading therefrom are the conductors J, K.

Arranged in some suitable position and preferably in an enlargement or cylinder L,

mon to run them continuously and the engine is usually controlled by. some suitable means from the cage and Ihave shown a siming the ports of the engine I provide means ple hand rope O,passing through the elevator cage A, and connected to the valve controller device H, and as it is unnecessary to heat the air except at the time of using in order to prevent the waste of electric current I preferably arrange the valve controller H, so that it will close the electric circuit J, K. whenever the controller is moved to operate the engine and when it is moved to stop the engine'it will break the circuit. Thus I have shown the circuitJ, K, terminating in contact plates j, 7a, with a contact plate h, on the valve controller which will close or open the circuit as the controller is moved.

lVhile I have thus illustrated the prefc rred embodiment of my invention and shown a conventional form of electric heater arranged in the supplypipe for the compressed air it will be understood that other forms and arrangements may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not therefore limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts illustrated and described.

That I claim is:-

The combination with an elevator and an QQLBEQ engine for operating it of a source of compressed air connected to operate the engine, an electric heater arranged to heat the compressed air and a controlling device for the engine valve connected to be operated from the elevator, the said valve controlling device controlling the electric circuit of the heater, substantiall y as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RUDOLPH 0. SMITH.

Witnesses:

F. L. FREEMAN, BENJ. T. WELGH, Jr. 

